TRANSPORT-TURKEY-TANKER:ISTANBUL,6DEC99-People fishing along the Bosphorus watch a giant Jullietta tanker sailing through Istanbul's narrow waterway December 5. There are strong environmental concerns in Turkey about the high volume of tanker traffic which passes through the Istanbul's straits. A Maltese-flagged tanker carrying crude oil from Russia to Italy ran aground in Marmara Sea off Istanbul December 6. The vessel, Histria Seatide, was grounded as it entered the Marmara Sea from the narrow Bosphorus Strait. It was carrying crude oil from Russia's Novorossiisk port to Augusta in Italy. A port official said there were no immediate indications of any oil leakage on the vessel, which the crew were trying to free through their own efforts.

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